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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not actively planning sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a journalist on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable this transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Despite Missile Lack

While Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a effective campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian armed and key objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and damaging two vessels, according to Russian officials. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Ankara's largest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of alternative crude in response to the latest western restrictions on Russia, as reported by market sources. Turkey is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, together with Beijing and India, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's lead in cutting back imports.

STAR Plant Expands Crude Sources

A major Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately purchased four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other non-Russian producers for December arrival, according to insiders. These purchases amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, varying by cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, amounting to about 210 thousand barrels per day, based on market information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was also increasing acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple sources. The company was furthermore expected to in the near future completely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary main Turkish refineries to maintain fuel exports to the EU without violating the EU’s upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Russian offensive involving thousands of soldiers, as stated by Kyiv’s senior commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply line for the Kyiv's military and has been in Russia's sights for more than a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the entire east Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in the City

At least two hundred Moscow's soldiers had breached the city's defences, Kyiv said recently, while analysts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in the city and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for more air defences to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We've strengthened the Patriot component of our national air defence,” he declared, referring to the advanced American defense systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Innocents, Cut Power

Russian drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than six people, among them two children, and disrupted electricity to thousands of residents, authorities said on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, said the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes disrupted electricity to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Eastern army group confirmed a number of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on the region.